Getting vaccine for Loved One not in the system....just a vent!!

Kailegh

My mom is 83, lives at home with us, I have been trying since January to get her the vaccine.  Her PCP was clueless, she has medicare, and there are ZERO appointments for two months...OH, we were told we could go to the medical center and do a walk through appointment which mean standing in line for over an hour possible and still not getting anything...I say, well she has dementia and that is just not feasible...meanwhile I see some healthy 65 year old retired healthy friends who ski all day rushing in for the vaccine...not sure anyone else luck with a ALZ person you care for in your home or such and getting the vaccine...its like ALZ/Dementia is not seen as an issue, and those that care give family aren't seen as real caregivers....infuriating....unpaid caregivers don't count it seems as I can't get one either 

Guess my real issue is if loved one is taken care of in the home by family, caregivers and loved ones are not given priority in anyway....

Iris L.

If your mom is ambulatory, try cvs.com.  I got an appointment at a CVS very close to me for the next day, and I waited less than five minutes on arrival.  

Iris L.

BassetHoundAnn

The vaccine roll-out has been truly chaotic, with the rules varying so widely between different states and even counties. 

I've read a number of articles about family caregivers having been forgotten in many states and counties across the country. 

Our county recently gave vaccination priority to elderly being cared for at home and also to their family caregivers. Have you contacted your county health department? 

My mom's PCP's clinic has been giving vaccinations based upon patients' age. They called me at 8 am with an appointment for that day and I got her down there pronto. I applied to my county health dept. as a family caregiver. Didn't hear anything for weeks, and doubted anything would come of it, then suddenly got an offer for a spur-of-the-moment appointment at their big county vaccination site. Had to sit in a long line of cars for a while but eventually got in. 

Good luck! It is really frustrating. 

Mint

Have no idea where you are located.  In our area the way almost everyone I know has received a vaccination through the health care systems.  Try going to the websites of the healthcare systems in your area.  Here you can sign up online or they also have a telephone number.  When I got there it was very organized and well done.  Was in and out in less than 30 minutes.  Hope these suggestions will help you.

harshedbuzz

Vent away.

The vaccine rollout has been a cluster in many places.

In my state, vaccines went out to counties for distribution through mass vaccination sites for those outside of nursing homes and the medical community first and are just now rolling out through pharmacies. IME, medical practices are not part of the distribution plan in most places so I am not surprised her doc knows nothing.

I know people who have had success using this tool.

Find your COVID 19 Vaccine Hunting Group (vaccinehunter.org)

RanchersWife

This is an example of why the people we elect at our state and local levels matter very much.

Kailegh

This is California and here are the places to register:  my turn, Walgreens, CVS, Riteaid, Safeway,and you can register with KP, Sutterhealth etc,  THEN you have the county, AND the city, and it depends on your zip code, regardless of age, well not really, but in practice yeah, so registered in about oh 7 places to sign her up...oh and yeah time time you log in and check for a location, and its full, you have to start it all over again, including the I am not a robot....it took whining on a county Facebook page and someone , just a random good lady, reached out, connected us up, so was able to get mom an appointment, and when I did, almost all time slots were available, so bizarre, but it was a site for a certain area and zip code, but as my mom is well, so finally got her something.

But soooo many systems, and it show Appointments Available, nah,   Took me being obnoxious and willing to publicly complain

I guess what got me so irritated was the "oh its simple, just log in and voila....nope, each time I checked for appointments twice a day it took 45 minutes to just go through all the different locations....AND apparently, if you live with someone over 75 in your home you are part of the first tier with them, but they don't tell you that or make it an option on the 20 questionnaires you have to fill out...through in doing iit double each time and well,,,hopefully lessons will be learned and caregivers at home will count